Bicycle-brake.



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(JN0 Model.)

ATTOHNE Y No. 639,498. Patented Dec. I9, |899.

JQLA Bum.

BICYCLE BRAKE.

(Application fled Feb. 20, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shen 2.

wim/5895s /NVE/vro A TTORNE l( No. 639,409. Patenfd nec.' I9, |899.

J. LA Bum. l

BICYCLE BRAKE.

(Application filed Feb. 20, 1899.) (N0 ModeI.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

'A v70/mfr rED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN LA BURT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BICYCLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,408, dated December19, 1899. Application filed February 20, 1899. Serial No. 706,146. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concer/t:

Be it known that I, JOHN LA BURT, a citizen My invention relates tobrakes for bicycles,

and has for its object the production of a sim-A ple and efficient brakewhich may be quickly attached to many different patterns of wheels,which will in operation -produce but a small amount ot' wear upon thetire against which it is applied, which will not'wear out thebrake-shoe, and which is light and cheap. Its novelty consists in theconstruction and adaptation of the parts, which will be moreparticularly hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings, Figure `l is a side elevation of a Wheel equipped withmy improved brake and designed to operate upon the rear wheel. Fig. 2 isa similar but enlarged View of the brake and its connections, and-Fig. 3is a bottom plan view of the same. Figs. 4: and 5 are small detail viewsshowing the brake in different positions during its operation. Fig. 6 isa partial vertical section and side elevation of the clip; and Fig. 7arear elevation, and Fig. 8 a bottom plan View, of the same. Fig. 9 is aside view of the spring before it is placed in position. Fig. 10 isaperspective view of the friction-plate. Fig. ll is a rear elevation ofthe foot-lever of the brake-rod and its support, and Fig. l2 is acentral Vertical section of a portion of the brake-band. y

The brake consists, essentially, of an endless elastic band a, adaptedto be passed around a friction-plate b, pivotally hinged upon a pintleb', supported by and between the dependent members h and h2 of a hanger71, which also supports and carries a rod or lroller b2, parallel withthe pintle b and at right angles to the medial line of the endless bandd, which also passes around it.

Iprovide the friction-plate b with inturned ends b3 and b4 and with alug b5 on each side, through which the pintle b passes. The inturnedends are simply to make the change of direction of the band a lessabrupt. The pintle b should be placed at a point below the transversemedial axis of the frictionplate l). Otherwise when the plate is causedto swing around it, in the manner presently to be described, its upperextremity would tend to swing forward away from the rear wheel ratherthan backward toward it. j

The endless band ais made of any suitable elastic material; but theconstruction` which I prefer is to make it of two external strips d andd2 of soft rubber, and interposed between them is Aplaced a strip orband a3 of less elastic material.

The dependent members 7?/ and h2 of the hanger h are continued upwardand horizontally, being curved inward at 72,3 and h4 until they arebrought into contact with each other and both pivotallybolted to thebrakerod r. This rod is curved downward and then upward, its otherextremity being pivoted to a lever fr', mounted at any convenient placeon the frame. The manner of mounting this lever is as follows: I clamparound the tube of the frame at any chosen point.

a collar r2, terminating at its bottom in two danges rs and r4, whichbeing bolted together in the usual manner are thus securely held to thetube of the frame. This collar is provided laterally with twosubstantially hori- Zontal trunnions'rand r6, upon which the footlever ris hung and swings. The foot-lever is provided with suitable aperturesto receive the trunnions T5 and rf" and at the bottom is bolted orotherwise pivotally connected to the brake-rod r. By this construction Iam on the tube without altering the latterV in any manner.- The membersof the hanger h4 and h3 are each provided with oppositelyfdisposedapertures adapted to receive a bolt h5, by which the hanger is attachedto a supportingclip c, fastened to the frame of the machine. The seriesof holes permits of the adjustment of the hanger at different positionswith relation to the wheel.

The supporting-clip is made in one piece. It has an upper member c', acurved rear member c2, and a lower member c3.V The upper and lowermembers are adapted to embrace a portion of the frame of the machine andare secured together by a nut and bolt c4. The upper member is providedwith two projecting wings or flanges c5 and c6, which afford awidebearing-surface against the frame enabled to locate the foot-lever atany pointl IOO of the machine. The lower member is provided with twoears orlugs c7 and es, between which the bolt 71,5 of the hanger isattached. The curved rear member is made in two parts ci and 010, withan opening c11 between them. Within this opening is placed a projectinglug or stud cl2, cut from a portion of the clip and bent backward.

A spring s is designed normally to hold the brake-band away from therear wheel. This spring is adapted to be coiled around the bolt 715. It`has a central uncoiled portion s' extending upward to form a loop s2,adapted to be placed over the stud or lug cl2. From the center it iswound in opposite directions toward the ends of the bolt, and the freeends s3 and s4 are bent over and forward until they are caught against,rest upon, or pass th rough the members of the hanger, and are thus heldunder a tension. The position of the clip being fixed, the action of thespring sais to th row the hanger,and consequently the brakeband, forwardand away from the rear wheel.

The method of operating the brake is as follows: The foot-lever fr"being pressed forward at the top by the foot or in any other suitablemanner,itturns uponitsbearingsupon thecollar r2 and the brake-rod 0^ ispushed downward and rearward. This action communicates abackward-and-downward movement to the hanger b and causes it to swingupon the bolt h5. This being the case, its lower end carrying theendless band a is moved toward The rear wheel, as shown in Fig. 4. Whenthe band c comes into actual contact with the wheel, if the pressure onthe brake-rod r, and consequently the rotation ofthe hanger h, continues the lower end of the band being unable to move farther by reason ofits contact with the wheel a secondary rotation of the frictionplate bon the pintle b takes place, the upper end of the friction-plate beingthen thrust toward the rear wheel and the band a consequently comes intocon tact with the rear wheel over a greater surface, as shown in Fig. 5,the band then being stretched backward from the roller b2. The extent ofthe contact is sufficient to effectually stop'the rotation of the wheel.As the endless band is free to slide around the friction-plate androller, the contact with the wheel is not harsh or sudden,

and the tendency to injure the tire is much less than when a rigidbrake-shoe is employed. The roller b2 limits the forward motion of thefriction-plate and serves as a stop.

Vhat I claim as new is- 1. A bicycle-brake consisting of a hanger, afriction-plate inturned at its upper and lower extremities, and hingedto swing upon the hanger by means of a pintle placed intermediate thetransverse center line of the plate and its lower inturned extremity,and an endless band adapted to pass around said plate in contact withthe extremities ofthe same.

2. In a bicycle-brake the combination of a hanger consisting of twomembers turned toward each other and in contact duringa portion of theirlength and provided with a series of oppositely-arran ged aperturesadapted to receive bolts whereby it may be adjustably secured to asupporting-clip mounted on the frame of the machine, said clip, and anendless brake-band adapted to be supported upon the hanger.

3. A bicycle-brake consisting of a hanger, a friction-plate inturned atits upper and lower extremities and hinged to swing upon the hanger bymeans of a pintle placed immediately below the transverse central lineof the plate, a rod or roller supported by the hanger and placed infront of the upper inturned end of the plate and an endless band adaptedto pass around saidrplate and. rod.

4. ln a bicycle-brake the combination with the brake-hanger of asupporting-clip therefor made in one piece and adapted to be bolted tothe frame of the machine, provided with flanges adapted to rest upon theframe, dependent lugs to which the hanger is attached, and a lug formedfrom the rear of the clip by cutting and bending back a portion thereofand a coiled spring supported upon and restrained by the front of thehanger and adapted to hook on said rear lug.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN LA BURT.

Witnesses:

HERMAN MEYER, CHESTER H. HIGGINS.

